Omaha daily bee., 1887-06-24
Do the Ends OF Justice Demand Pub.
!icityf


General Traffic Manager Kimball testi.
lied before the Pacific railroad commits.
sion Monday that the multifarious duties
imposed upon HIM as general passenger
agent and traffic manager of the Union
Pacific railway, included as an incident
the defense Of the policy of the road and
methods OF its managers through the
newspapers. This admission was by no
means surprise to US. Although stoutly
denied by the editors, the earmarks of
the great Union Pacific factotum have
quite often been visible in editorial
leaders that have from time to time ap-
peared in the subsidized railroad press of
this city. MIR. Kimball's Italian hand
has not lost its cunning yet. AS a sup
plement to MIR. Poppleton's bulldozing
tactics Mr.. Klmbal! makes pathetic and
ingenious appeal to the commission,
through the editorial columns of the
Omaha Republican, to desist from max
ing public the tell tale story Of the rebate
books and India rubber accounts and
other damaging testimony which may be
drawn out during the progress of investi-
cation. Sub.editor Kimball says:
1t Is grave question whether the govern
ment has right in equity and justice, to
lay bare before o curious public, and com
peting and interested corporations, the inner
workings of the Union Pacific. All know
that until after the enactment of the inter-
state commerce law every railroad company
in the country whose lines came in cOmpe-
tition with any other employed the
system Of freight rebates. 1t was q
necessity in the absence OF law prohibiting
such means fOv securing business. This is
now explicitly prohibited, and affecting all
alike, all have abandoned IL. Is it right and
just, therefore, for the government to take
advantage of its authority under tue charter
of the Union Pacific to divulge the past Sc
crct management of that corporation and af-
ford rival companies an opportunity to in
jure it by playing upon individual prejudice?
These are the questions the members Of
the commission should ask themselves,
and must decide for themselves DO the
ends of justice demand such course? All
that congress or the people ask is that the
main fact shall be learned, viz: Is the Union
Pacific defrauding the government? Is it
necessary, to do this. that the details of the
workings with one road of q policy which
was employed by all should be laid bare?
The Republican believes not. It believes
that the Union Pacific railway will stand the
scrutiny as we'll as any of the great corpora
tiOns-perhaps better than most of them
but it does not believe it is fair that it should
be singled out to be made victim, and that
in the interest of others equally guilty, ad-
mitting that the system was wrong,
In this, US in many former instances,
the Republican has SIMPLY voiced the ideas
n mr. onH fiYD,n re- r,f tI,a
Union Pacific management. The coun-
try will fully sustain the commission in
giving the widest publicity to the dis.
closures made by its investigation. Con-
gress has imposed duty upon this COM
mission to examine the books and records
of the Pacific railroads and ascertain
how their affairs have been and are being
managed. 1t is both right and just that
the commission should let IN the daylight
upon the "secret management" of the
national highway.
Competing rivals can gain no possible
advantage from the publication of the
true inwardness of Union Pacific
methods Of dealing with its patrons and
stockholders. 1t is the merest bosh to
talk about the damage which the Union
Pacific would suffer il the commission
shall prcmit the contents of its rebate
books to be known to rival roads. II re-
bates have been abandoned by all the
roads what harm can come to the Union
Pacific if the Burlington, the Santa Fe
or the Northern Pacific should ascertain
whom the U. P, has favored and what
silent patrons 1t has fed and enriched in
the dead past?
1t is not true that the only thing which
congress and people ask at the hands of
this commission is to ascertain whether
the government has been defrauded The
country and congress expect this COM
mission to 90 further than all that They
ask that the corporation managers shall
disclose whether the company has lived
up to the provisions of the charter.
Whether the millions that have been re- =
allied from public lands and subsidy
bonds have been honestly expended.
Whether the enormous revenue of the
railroad has been squandered in
building branch roads at three
times their cost. Whether inside rings
have bankrupted the road and robbed the
stockholders by diverting the funds of
the company into private enterprises,
and whether an army of favori.es has
been subsidized by rebates, and last but
not least, whether the earnings of the
road have been used in corrupting legis.
latures and courts. and systematic bribery
OF public oflicialsf
The ends of justice demand the fullest
publicity OF tho facts. so that tho national
legislature may take the proper steps for
recovering what has boen unlawfully
diverted, and compelling the stockhold.
ers to make good their proper share of
the embezzlement and misappropriation.
An ExOduS of Chincse